ICON OF THE FIGHT

Chapter 40

Though Mutsvodo had anticipated Chido's escape attempt, he was ill prepared for it. On the ground, he had four security men from BIO in plain clothes but they had been overwhelmed by the intensity of the attack. Reviewing the information as it came, he had to hand it to Shogg. As a soldier, Mutsvodo knew the man had guts, what he had failed to fully appreciate was that Shogg also had smarts.

He cursed silently as he was pushed into the Power Room. Sol Komari sat behind the massive presidential desk, his Airforce uniform neat and glittering with medals and ribbons. His bullet had shone in the golden light from the massive chandeliers in the high ceiling. His left gloved hand rested on the desk in front of him, lightly touching the gold-plated revolver.  Mutsvodo felt his rate increase and he tried to hide his anxiety.

"Doctor Director," President Sol Komari said with a deceptive softness in his voice. "How are you feeling?"

Mutsvodo forced a smile, "I'm alright, Mr President."

"Are sure, doctor?" Komari was appropriately concerned, and that made Mutsvodo's alarm bells start ringing.

"I am well, thank you, sir." He forced himself to look directly into Komari's bloodshot eyes. "The medication numbs the pain a little, but it is not enough to disturb my mental aptitude."

Komare bared his teeth in that ugly smile. He even chuckled. "I can see that now, director. But, tell me now. How did this happen? How did Shogg himself managed to drive across Jare in broad daylight, passing numerous patrols and roadblocks unscathed?"

"He didn't, Mr President." Mutsvodo relaxed a little, the threat of the golden gun was now averted. "He and his people were already in the city, we suspect they had been here for three days. Four blocks north of the courthouse, at the unoccupied G-Mart building along  Haille Sellasie Avenue. We just found mechanical tools, wielding equipment, jerry cans and engine oil tins. That's where they holed up and prepped for the assault."

"Three days!" Komari thundered. "Three bloody days under our very noses. Oh, Lord."

Mutsvodo bit his tongue.

Komari stood up as realised something else. "Three days ago, the terrorists weren't even slated to be tried. Even I had not decided about it. How did Shogg knew to set up shop here?"

Mutsvodo knew this was the tricky part, telling Komari without seeming to belittle him. Komari had a fragile ego, a trait that had made Mutsvodo's approach to him easy a year ago. When Mutsvodo had engineered the death of Komari's wife, the Air Chief Marshall would have crashed hard, had it not been for the seemingly fortuitous appearance of Jez on the scene. Jez had proceeded to pamper and blow the air force chief's ego along with other things. She had made him pliable for Mutsvodo.

"Mr President," the director of BIO now said, "it seemed former Colonel Shogg anticipated that development..."

Komari banged hard on the desk. "But how, dammit!?"

"It would not have been as hard as it seems. The rebels know that the government has to appease the African Union and the U.N. So obviously you would make every effort that such high profile detainees as the once who bombed Hornet's Nest get a a fair trial."

"You didn't want them to be tried," Komari said. "Did you suspect this would happen?"

"I did, that's why urged the police to increased their presence at the courthouse during the trial and the Shaming. Yesterday I personally talked to the police commissioner himself and suggested he conduct a security sweep of the downtown area. Apparently, he didn't."

Komari's eyes glinted as he glanced at the revolver lying on the desk. Mutsvodo wasn't ashamed to note that he would not be facing the gun that day, he had diverted that threat to one of his detractors. He gave himself a mental pat on the back. People were his to control, if you knew which button to push and when.

"We were unable to track them after they broke through the ambush. Our eyes in the sky were refuelling at King Goshosho. By the time, it got in the air they had disappeared. We are still looking, but we have nothing on thermals and army patrols haven't picked up their trail yet."

Komari nodded as took his seat. "I was talking with General Ndlera before you came in. It's like Shogg has disappeared into thin air with the most famous criminals in the country. Any progress on the hunt for Saizi?"

Mutsvodo answered in the negative. "We have lost all of the agents we had embedded with the Resistance Army. It would take too long to try and infiltrate them again. That is why we are using another approach. I can't say much at this point but that this channel, once working, will enable us to tap directly into the top hierarchy of the Resistance."

Komari nodded and said, "Make sure it works. I'm getting tired of this suspense. In the meantime who would you suggest to take over from the soon-to-retire police commissioner?"